Originally Posted by
hfly
Mr. H, I then contend that you do not eat at many of the "best"or more "fashionable" restaurants in London very much these days or even much in the last decade. Furthermore yes, we all know what VAT is, however to calculate it based on added discretionary charges and then to calculate an automatic service charge based off of both and include it in the total is total chicanery not to mention would be considered illegal in manyother places. To add a tip line afterwards is just plainly ridiculous.
I'm afraid I think you're mistaken. London restaurants charge a menu price which includes tax. It is not calculated and added on afterwards. The same is true of drinks bought in a pub. The price you see is the price you pay, and you are not taxed for discretionary payments.
Some restaurants do add a fixed percentage of service charges on top of the menu price (which includes tax). It's not a habit I like, but one which seems to be the legacy of our friends from the USA who came over to Europe leaving little trails of tips behind them. Now everyone wants some.
The couvert charge is not something I have ever seen. I decided to have a look on the Internet at some menus to see whether I could see it in these "best or more fashionable" restaurants. Here's the menu from Gordon Ramsay's restaurant on Hospital Road - pretty fashionable. It was the first menu I tried - 12.5% gratuity but no couvert charge:
http://www.gordonramsay.com/royalhos...enus/alacarte/. Here's the Oxo Tower Restaurant too - the same set up:
http://www.harveynichols.com/files/p...nnersept09.pdf. Ditto The Square:
http://www.squarerestaurant.org/.
So you are wrong on the way tax is calculated; you are wrong on the couvert charge. And most people have the wit not to leave a tip if they've already had one added on the bill.
So please, before you spread potentially damaging misinformation about our restaurants, try to get your facts right.